One proposed motor control apparatus restricts torque output from a motor to a drive shaft, in response to occurrence of a skid due to wheelspin of drive wheels with the torque output from the motor (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 10-304514). This motor control apparatus restricts the torque level output from the motor in response to detection of a skid based on an increase in angular acceleration of the drive wheels (that is, a time variation of angular velocity), while canceling the torque restriction of the motor in response to elimination of the skid by the torque restriction.
This prior art motor control apparatus uniformly cancels the torque restriction, regardless of the driver's demand. This may cause the driver to feel uncomfortable and worsen the drivability.
The applicant of the present invention has disclosed a vehicle skid control technique that regulates a degree of torque restriction, which is set in response to occurrence of a skid, according to an accelerator opening or a driver's step-on amount of an accelerator pedal and regulates a degree of cancellation of the torque restriction in response to elimination of the skid (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 2001-295676).